Seam ripper



July 19, 1949. J w, DERCQLE 2,476,288

SEAM RIPPER Filed Sept. 21, 1945 INVENTOR JAMES W. DERCOLE ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 1949 UNIT-ED ..SEAM RIPPER Jamcs'W. Dercole, United sta'tes Navy,

'P-OrtSmouth, 1\f." H.

.-.Application September 21, I945,-Srial1NolZ61f7L898 -7 Claims. .-(,Cl:-"30- 293) -(Grantedi;under the act OfaZMflIlth- 3,.1883,.-as

iamended-Aprilrr30, 1928;.-.37.0.0.: G. 757) My invention relates 'tdaseamripper. It

has to dog-moreparticularly, with a:small ='t0o1 which may be :grippedby"the fingers aridba-readily used tocut-thestitches of-a scam in cloth or similar material.

-At the present time; it is thecustom to employ a razor bladeto'cut the stitchesof a seam. "This method isslow and tedious. Furthermore; there is constant danger of cutting the materialwhile attempting to cut the 'stitches. "Also; ther'eisconstant danger of injury'to'the fingers of the personusing the" razor blade.

One of the objects of-my' invention is -to provide aseam ripper whichmay' be'used very efiectively for cutting the stitches of-a' seam quickly and with little efiort.

Another object of-my=i-nvention is 'to provide a seam ripper which is of such a naturethat the stitches may be cut 'efiectivelywithout danger of injury to the-material and Without -danger -bf injury to the person using'the seam ripper.

Another object of my invention is'toprovidea seam ripper of the type-indicated which'can be manufactured-easily and cheaply andwhichman,

therefore, be sold at a low price.

'The' preferredembodimentof.my invention is --illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein' Fig. 1 is a perspective-view showing how my seam ripper is used.

-trated. a seamripper made :in :accordance: with my invention. In Fig. 1, Ishavei1lustratedithe seam ripper being "employed for :ripping. asdouble seam I formed of overlapping-layers .of theicloth :2. This'seam :includes a-row of stitches 3-.;:'and

a parallel row of stitches 4 in the-overlappingflay- .ers of the cloth. 'Eachrownofstitches .isJsuccessively cut by my device. 1'5.HOWBV81,'. it: isato; :be :z.understood1that= my-zdevice-rlsznot limited to ruse .with:ithisuparticular=-,type of scam. Also, ==alcthough' imylidevice-is; particularly usefulnwith. the heavy type materialspit iS'PIlOt necessarily [limited thereto.

device: oomprises a rbladeholdeni. Jlhis holder is. adapted'to'rreceive acblade v6 which is of. the single edge safety-,razor-ytype. -I-Iowever, .xthe holderlcan be modified .tc-receive other types .Lofidolades- The-holder Sis flared-and hasa wedge- 1 -shaped alowerv edge Textendingdts fulllength.

. At'. a-upoi nt spaced alooveltheedge .I,v the .thick- ;'ness of: the. hol'deni .-is' reduced to form in ,one .tface thereoL-a recess ror socket-.8; for receiving 1 the blades. This socket :or recessB extends the 5..fullzlength oft-he? holder. .The'socket Bis turether recessed; as. at 9, .to ereceivethe heavy blunt upper. portion of. this type ofrsafety razorblade. :For,.retaining tthe: blade. in position, a 'retaining plate -.=l 011s, placed over; the hlade. in the recess. 8.

20 flhisplate, just; fillsthe recess. so that its surface will be flush-with the surifacelof. thelower partof 'Ithei holder-5., The inner: face of. plate 10. is proc videdwithza recess ll extending thewfull length thereof aand adapted to; receive the heavy-.upper tcportionzaof- :thezjblade. The plate- I 0 .-is-;retained .xin- .position- ,-b y.ca+ screw I 2 which, extends .through sancpening in-the. .rplate-vand through. the -,ver-

ticalsslot -avvhich is.-. usua1ly provided in this type :of blade; and: which threads :into the holder-.5.

The .top edge :of thelholderii is enlarged-to liormathe heavyl lugs l3-.;and-l4.-=at the opposite ends thereof withua socket-= "disposed .there- .1 between. The lug 43 is; provided with an .opening 5:16 extendingtherethrough and the lug I4 is vprovided with a;simi1ar-sopening l'lextending thereathrough. .Thegopening. -:l 1. is: inaalign mentavvith opening :21 6. :but is of: slightly smaller. diameter. "The openings lfi and -l1-.-are -.adapted to receive the-pin =1 fltw hichcarries a finger "I 9. This finger of the same -'cross-sectional shape as .the :holder use that its. forward: and rearesurfaces --will; be flush with l the corresponding surfaces-poi .-.the x-holder. andrthecplate-i-l 0 ccarried thereby. The

' The pinccl8'sisr provided-with a :reducedvinner n-end '28.which-.-s1idably.- extends-into. the opening kl]. .Thamainor-larger partofathe pin.-.slidably :fits. in; the gopeni-ng .1 6. t The -pin.also has. amint -termediate threaded .sectionrZL uponr which lis .threaded-a-lmurled. nut e22. I yThis -nut 22-1is-r-disposed in an enlarged socket 23 formed at one end of the socket l5. Consequently, the nut cannot move longitudinally of the holder 5. The nut abuts the lug l4 and projects radially beyond the top surface thereof so that it can be readily rotated. A spring 24 is disposed within the socket around the pin and has one end disposed in a circular socket in the nut 22 and the other end bearing against the lug 13. This spring serves as a brake for preventing the nut 22 from rotating too freely. Thus, it will be apparent that if the nut 22 is rotated, the pin I8 will be moved axially, thereby moving the finger l9 laterally towards and away from the end of the holder 5.

It will be noted that the holder 5 is of such a length that the blade will project beyond the end thereof where the finger I9 is located. This projecting end of the blade will fit into a recess 21 which corresponds in cross-sectional outline to that of the recess formed by the combined recesses 8 and 9 in the holder 5. The finger 9 is never moved away from the end of the holder sufiiciently to withdraw the end of the blade completely from the recess 21..

The lower end of the finger is wedge-shaped, as indicated at '28, to correspond with the shape of the lower edge I of the holder.

The lower end of the finger I9 and the adjacent portion of the lower edge of the holder 5 serve to provide a guiding throat 29 for receiving the stitches and guiding them to the cutting edge of the blade. The entrance end of this throat is provided with outwardly flared surfaces 30 and 3| formed by roundin the adjacent corners of members 5 and IS. A straight part of the throat is formed by the adjacent bevelled or feathered edges 32 and 33 formed on the members 5 and I9. Adjacent the cutting edge of the blade the throat is enlarged, as at 34, to form a cutting chamber and expose a relatively long cutting edge of the blade. Directly above the cutting chamber 34, a. notch is provided in the plate In and a correspondingly located notch 36 is provided on the opposite side of the plate in the holder 5.

A handle member 31 is provided and is of substantially inverted U cross-section. The member 31 will slip over the lugs l3 and I4 and will be retained thereon by friction. It is provided with vertical shots in its opposite sides, which have their lower ends open, through which the nut 22 projects radially. The member 31 is further provided with a concave recess in its upper surface, extending its full length, for receiving the finger when the device is gripped in the manner indicated in Fig. 1.

In using this device, one or two threads of the seam should be cut to permit insertion of the lower end of finger I9 within the seam, as shown in Fig. 1. Then it is merely necessary to draw the device along the seam. Due to the wedge shape of the lower end of the ripper, the overlapping parts of the material will be spread apart as it is moved along. Simultaneously with this wedging action, the stitches will first be guided into the flared end of the throat 29, then through the straight narrow part thereof, and finally into the enlarged cutting chamber 34 where the threads will be out. Since the chamber 34 is fairly wide, the cutting action will be distributed over a greater length of the blade. The severed threads will feed from the chamber 34, on both sides of the device, and up into the notches 35 and 36 which will permit free exit thereof and, thereby, prevent clogging of the space between 4 the finger l9 and the holder 5. It will be understood that the finger l9 will always be closely ad- J'acent the holder 5 so that the throat 29 will be narrow. The width of this throat may be varied by adjusting the nut 22 in accordance with the thickness of the cloth material.

My device ma be moved along the seam very quickly without any danger of injury to the cloth material or the fingers of the user of the device. The cutting edge is completely protected so that the cloth cannot be injured thereby. The cutting edge will merely act on the stitches which are guided to it by the throat 29 since the cloth and the fingers cannot come into contact with it.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon or therefor.

What I claim is:

1. A seam ripper comprising a blade holder having a socket formed in one face thereof at a point spaced above and parallel to the lower edge thereof, a removable plate disposed in said socket for retaining the blade in position, said holder having a lower edge of wedge-shape crosssection, a finger secured at one end of said blade holder and being of substantially the same crosssection as the holder so that its front and rear surfaces are substantially flush with the ccrresponding surfaces of the holder, said finger having its upper end secured to a pin which extends into a bore formed in the upper end of the holder, and means for moving said pin axially to change the spacing of the finger from the adjacent end of the holder, said finger also having a blade-receiving socket for receiving the end of the blade.

2. A seam ripper according to claim 1 including a removable finger grip on the upper end of the holder.

3. A seam ripper according to claim 1 wherein the adjacent surfaces of the lower portions of the finger and holder form a thread-receivin throat, said surfaces being so formed that they provide an outer flared open end, an intermediate straight section, and an enlarged cutting chamber at its inner end.

4. A seam ripper according to claim 1 wherein the adjacent surfaces of the lower portions of the finger and holder form a thread-receiving throat, said surfaces being so formed that they provide an outer flared open end, an intermediate straight section, and an enlarged cutting chamber at its inner end, said blade retaining plate and said holder having notches formed therein directly above the cutting chamber.

5. A seam ripper comprising a member adapted to be inserted in the seam and carrying a cutting edge, means for engaging and guiding the threads of the seam into association with said cutting edge, said means including a guide throat formed in said member, said throat having an outer flared end, an intermediate straight narrow section and a widened inner cutting chamber, said cutting edge being associated with said inner chamber.

6. A seam ripper in accordance with claim 5, wherein the edges of said throat are movable relative to each other, in a direction perpendicular to said cutting edge.

7. A seam ripper comprising a blade holder, a blade, a guide finger attached to one end of said holder, said finger having a blade-receiving socket therein, means for securing said blade to said holder so that it extends into the bladereceiving socket of said finger, the cutting edge of said blade being perpendicular to the axis of said finger and spaced from the lower edges of said holder and said finger, the adjacent cooperating surfaces of said finger and said holder at the portions thereof below the blade being shaped to provide a throat which has a flared outer end, an intermediate straight section, and an enlarged inner end which serves as a cutting chamber.

JAMES W. DERCOLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Rhodes Nov. 30, 1920 Kehetian n Feb. 28, 1928 Randle et a1. Oct. 22, 1935 

